Travel trailer with extendable two level bathroom and bedroom

ABSTRACT

A recreational travel trailer comprising a main housing which encloses a living space having multiple floor levels, and a two level extendable housing having a deployed configuration and an extended configuration. The extendable housing is movably positioned within an opening in the main housing so that a first floor of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent to a first floor of the main housing and so that a second floor of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent to a second floor of the main housing. In the deployed configuration, the extendable housing extends through the opening of the main housing so as to increase the enclosed space within the trailer. In the retracted configuration, the extendable housing is substantially positioned within the main housing so as to provide the main housing with a shape and size that is suitable for being towed on a public road. The trailer is further comprised of a two level actuator assembly which moves the two level extendable housing. The actuator assembly is comprised of a rear and front rail assembly that are vertically offset from each other and a two level drive mechanism positioned therebetween that causes the rail assemblies to move opposite ends of the extendable housing in a synchronous manner. A foldable wardrobe having a deployed configuration and a retracted configuration is mounted to the extendable housing. In the deployed configuration, the wardrobe extends into a full size wardrobe. In the retracted configuration, the width of the wardrobe is reduced so as to enable the extendable housing to be placed into the retracted configuration.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.09/283,708 filed Apr. 1, 1999, entitled “Travel Trailer with ExtendableTwo Level Bathroom and Bedroom.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to travel trailers and inparticular relates to travel trailers that are adapted to expand in sizeso as to increase the effective interior area of the travel trailer.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Recreational travel trailers are becoming increasingly popularwith people who wish to retain the comforts and conveniences of homewhile spending extended periods of time away at remote locations. Inparticular, a recreational travel trailer is a modestly priced mobilestructure which can be towed behind a passenger vehicle, such as atruck, and forms an enclosed interior living space so as to provide ashelter for individuals. In more elaborate configurations, the traveltrailer typically includes amenities such as a bedroom, a bathroom witha sink and a flushing toilet, a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, andsink, and a generously sized living area with reclining chairs and anentertainment center. Furthermore, a travel trailer can be easily parkedat a wide variety of locations so that users can enjoy the amenities ofthe travel trailer at their favorite destination. Consequently, peoplewho use travel trailers can usually be assured of a comfortable livingenvironment at their preferred destination without having to rely on theavailability of suitable hotels.

[0006] In response to consumer demand, manufactures of travel trailershave developed increasingly larger travel trailers. However, state andfederal laws limit the dimensions of travel trailers that can betransported on public roads, thereby limiting the living space withinthe travel trailer. In particular, current regulations specify a maximumlength, otherwise known as the maximum allowed length, of highway boundtravel trailers to be no greater than 40 feet. Furthermore, currentregulations specify a maximum width, otherwise known as the maximumallowed width, of highway bound travel trailers to be no greater than8.5 feet. Thus, the travel trailer industry has devoted considerableresources to develop improved travel trailers so as to increase theliving space of the travel trailer in a manner that is consistent withthe forgoing size restrictions.

[0007] Consequently, manufacturers have developed travel trailers withone or more extendable members that provide the user with a supplementalliving space when the travel trailer is parked. In particular, theextendable member is adapted to extend into a deployed configurationduring the time that the travel trailer is parked so that the livingspace within the travel trailer is increased by an amount which issubstantially equal to the supplemental living space of the extendablemember. Furthermore, the extendable member is adapted to retract into aretracted configuration during the time that the travel trailer is beingtowed so that the traveling dimensions of the travel trailer are withinthe maximum allowed width and length.

[0008] The typical extendable member is positioned within an opening ofthe housing of the travel trailer and is comprised of a plurality ofwalls that form the supplemental living space therein and an openingthat provides access to the supplemental living space. In particular,the walls of the typical extendable member are comprised of a lowerhorizontal wall that forms a single level planer floor whichsubstantially aligns with an adjacent floor of the travel trailer and anupper horizontal wall that forms a single level planer ceiling whichsubstantially aligns with an adjacent ceiling of the travel trailer.Furthermore, the extendable member is comprised of an outer verticalwall that is adapted to align with an outer wall of the travel trailerwhile the extendable member is placed in the retracted configuration,and a pair of horizontal side walls that join the upper and lowerhorizontal walls and the outer vertical wall together.

[0009] According to state of the prior art, the known extendable memberis typically mounted on a pair of movable support rail assemblies whichare positioned at a common elevation so as to provide movement of theextendable member with respect to the travel trailer. In particular,each support rail assembly is typically comprised of a fixed memberwhich is fixedly attached to the frame of the travel trailer and asliding member which telescopes from the fixed member and couples withthe extendable member so that the extendable member moves with thesliding member of each support rail assembly. Furthermore, the slidingmember of each of the support rail assemblies is displaced with respectto the fixed member by an actuator assembly that typically compriseseither an electrically powered linear rack and pinion drive mechanism ora hydraulic assembly which moves each of the sliding members so that theextendable member remains in an aligned state with respect to the traveltrailer during the movement process. Moreover, the actuator assemblytypically further includes push button control so that the user canconveniently place the extendable member in either the retracted or thedeployed configuration.

[0010] Such an extendable member, when in the retracted configuration,is positioned so that the outer vertical wall aligns with the side wallof the travel trailer and so that the remaining walls, including thelower horizontal wall, of the extendable member are positioned withinthe interior living space of the travel trailer. Consequently, in theretracted configuration, the housing of the travel trailer forms a moreaerodynamic shape having a width and length that are within the maximumallowed width and length.

[0011] However, when the extendable member is placed into the deployedconfiguration, the extendable member extends from the travel trailer sothat the walls of the extendable member extend from the opening of thehousing of the travel trailer so as to align the opening of theextendable member with the opening of the side wall of the traveltrailer. Consequently, the floor of the extendable member extendsthrough the opening of the housing so that the effective living area ofthe travel trailer is increased. Furthermore, the walls of theextendable member effectively become exterior walls of the traveltrailer so that the interior living space of the travel trailer remainsenclosed.

[0012] Typically, the largest variety of travel trailers, otherwiseknown as fifth wheel travel trailers, are manufactured so that theweight of the trailer is partially supported by a plurality of wheelsthat extend from a chassis of the trailer and partially supported at thefront by the towing vehicle. In particular, such travel trailers arecomprised of a raised front section that is adapted to substantiallyextend over a supporting portion of the towing vehicle and a loweredrear section that is positioned above the plurality of wheels of thetravel trailer. Furthermore, such travel trailers may further becomprised of a midsection that encloses a portion of a plumbing assemblywhich includes a fresh water storage tank and a waste water storagetank. Thus, typical fifth wheel travel trailers are typically formedwith multiple levels which often include a rear section having a loweredfloor area, a front section having a raised floor area, and a middlesection having an intermediately elevated floor area.

[0013] In the typical fifth wheel travel trailer, the living space istypically segmented along the boundaries between the lower, middle, andupper sections of the travel trailer. In particular, since the rearsection is closest to the ground and since the rear section is thelargest of the three sections, the rear section typically comprises theliving room and kitchen that are both accessible from the outside by anentry door positioned along a side wall of the housing of the traveltrailer that opens into the lower level. Furthermore, since the middlesection often comprises the plumbing assembly, the middle section oftencomprises the bathroom. Moreover, since the front section has the leastamount of headroom and is the most remote of all three sections, thefront section often comprises the bedroom.

[0014] In known fifth wheel travel trailers having extendable members,the extendable members are somewhat limited in that they extend fromonly a single section of the travel trailer. In particular, knownextendable members extend from either the rear section, the midsection,or the front section of the trailer. For example, the typical extendabletravel trailer is comprised of a first extendable member having a singlelevel floor that extends from a first opening in the side wall of thetravel trailer in the vicinity of the rear section so as to increase thesize of the living room. Further, the typical trailer also includes asecond extendable member having a single level floor that extends from asecond opening of the side wall of the travel trailer in the vicinity ofthe front section so as to increase the size of the bedroom.

[0015] Although such recreational travel trailers provide a significantincrease in living space, the increase is not as great as it could be.In particular, since the known extendable member can only extend from asingle level floor of the recreational travel trailer, the width of theknown extendable member is limited by the dimensions of thecorresponding trailer section. Consequently, such extendable membersprovide a supplemental living space that is sometimes relatively narrowin size, thereby preventing relatively large items from being positionedwithin the extendable member. For example, although the secondextendable member from the aforementioned example enables a bed to bemounted within the supplemental living space formed therein, it is notcapable of including the bathroom along with the bed due to the limitedsize of the front section of the travel trailer and due to the inabilityof known extendable members to encompass multiple floor levels.Furthermore, since structural limitations require adjacent extendablemembers to be spaced sufficiently far apart, it is generally notfeasible to position extendable members adjacent to each other, whereinthe extendable members extend from both the middle and front sections ofthe travel trailer. Thus, it is generally not feasible to position boththe bathroom and the bedroom in one or more extendable members of thetravel trailer. Consequently, either the middle section or the frontsection of the known travel trailer is not fully utilized.

[0016] Although special purpose commercial grade mobile structures havebeen developed with extendable members having multiple floor levels,such known commercial structures utilize elaborate and expensiveactuator assemblies for manipulating the extendable member between theretracted configuration and the deployed configuration. In particular,in the Applicants previous design of a commercial grade movableconcession booth having a multilevel extendable member that forms asupplemental space therein, the actuator assembly comprises an elaboratesystem of cables that engage with an elaborate system of pulleys in arelatively complicated manner so as to effectively move the relativelylarge multilevel extending member between the retracted configurationand the deployed configuration. However, since the fabrication of suchknown actuator assemblies require a substantial amount of manual effortand materials, the implementation of such known multilevel extendablemembers in the recreational travel trailer industry is generallyprohibited due to the high costs involved.

[0017] Another problem associated with known travel trailers havingextendable members is that the furnishings that attach to the extendablemembers are somewhat limited in size. For example, it is usually notpractical to include a laterally positioned wardrobe having asubstantially elongated shape as part of the extendable member. Inparticular, due to the extended length of the wardrobe and the limitedspace within the travel trailer, the wardrobe may inhibit the extendablemember from being placed in the retracted configuration. Furthermore,even if it is possible for such an extendable member to be placed in theretracted configuration, it is likely that the wardrobe will limitaccess to the interior regions of the travel trailer. Consequently, itis often the case that the wardrobe must be fixedly positioned to afront region of the bedroom, thereby limiting the space within thebedroom.

[0018] From the foregoing, therefore, it will be appreciated that thereis a need for an improved travel trailer that can be configured with aliving space that is greater than that of travel trailers known in theart. In particular, there is a need for an improved travel trailer thatcomprises an improved extendable member that can be manipulated betweena retracted configuration and a deployed configuration so that theextendable member encompasses multiple sections of the travel trailer soas to increase of the width of the extendable member over that ofextendable members known in the art. To this end, there is a need forthe improved extendable member to include a multilevel floor so as toenable the extendable member to encompass multiple sections of thetravel trailer which could include a bathroom and a bedroom in tandem.

[0019] Furthermore, there is a need for the improved extendable memberto include an actuator assembly that is capable of moving the extendablemember between the retracted and the deployed configurations in a mannerthat does not result in the extendable member becoming immobilized dueto improper alignment between the extendable member and the traveltrailer. Moreover, there is a need for the actuator assembly to berelatively simple so that it can be manufactured in a cost effectivemanner. Additionally, there is a need for the improved extendable memberto include a configurable wardrobe having an elongated shape in anextended configuration and a non-elongated shape in a retractedconfiguration so that the wardrobe can be laterally positioned in thebathroom region of the improved extendable member of the travel trailerin a non-interfering manner so as to free up space in the bedroom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the travel trailer ofthe present invention comprising a frame, a set of wheels attached tothe frame to permit rolling movement of the trailer over the ground, anda floor attached to the frame. In particular, the floor defines theinner living space of the trailer and the floor has a first verticallevel positioned at a first height above the ground and a secondvertical level positioned at a second height above the ground. Thetravel trailer further comprises a plurality of walls mounted on thefloor so as to enclose the inner living space of the trailer and apop-out assembly attached to a first wall of the plurality of walls ofthe trailer, the pop out assembly including a floor having a first and asecond level and a plurality of walls mounted at the outer edges of thefloor. In particular, the first and second level of the floor of thepop-out are respectively positioned adjacent the first and secondvertical levels of the floor of the trailer attached to the frame.Furthermore, the pop-out assembly is movable between a first positionsuch that the outer wall of the pop-out assembly is positioned adjacentthe first wall and a second position wherein the pop-out assembly isextended outward from the first wall.

[0021] In one embodiment, the travel trailer further comprises amovement mechanism coupled with the pop-out assembly that moves thepop-out assembly between the first position and the second position. Inparticular, the movement mechanism comprises a first rail attached to afirst end of the pop-out assembly, wherein the first rail is movablebetween a retracted and an extended position. Furthermore, the movementmechanism comprises a second rail attached to a second end of thepop-out assembly, wherein the second rail is movable between a retracedand an extended position. Moreover the movement mechanism furthercomprises a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be ableto move the first rail between the retracted and extended position.Furthermore, the movement mechanism further comprises a linkage assemblythat links the first and second rail so as to ensure that the first andsecond rail move between the retracted and the extended positionsimultaneously at the same rate.

[0022] In one embodiment, the linkage assembly comprises a first shaftmember mounted to the travel trailer so as to extend generallyhorizontally at a first height above the ground so as to be rotatable,wherein the first shaft member is attached to the first rail so thatrotation of the first shaft member results in corresponding movement ofthe first rail between the retracted and the extended position. Thelinkage assembly further comprises a second shaft member mounted to thetrailer assembly so as to extend generally at a second height above theground and so as to be rotatable, wherein the second shaft member isattached to the second rail so that rotation of the second shaft memberresults in movement of the second rail between the retracted andextended position. The linkage assembly further comprises a verticallinkage mechanism that is coupled to the first and second shaft membersso that rotational movement of the first shaft member results incorresponding rotational movement of the second shaft member.

[0023] From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the improvedpop-out assembly of the travel trailer of the present improved inventionencompasses two floor levels of the travel trailer, therefore enablingthe pop-out assembly to have a supplemental living space which issignificantly greater than that of pop-out assemblies known in the art.Furthermore, the travel trailer of the present invention utilizes asimple yet effective linkage assembly that can be manufactured at lowcost. These and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recreational travel trailer ofthe present invention that comprises a two level extendable member;

[0025]FIG. 2A is an overhead plan view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1showing the two level extendable member in a retracted configuration;

[0026]FIG. 2B is an overhead plan view of the travel trailer of FIG. 1showing the two level extendable member in a deployed configuration;

[0027]FIG. 3A is an overhead plan view of a two level actuator assemblyof the travel trailer of FIG. 1 that actuates the two level extendablemember between the retracted configuration and the deployedconfiguration;

[0028]FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the actuator assembly ofFIG. 3A;

[0029]FIG. 3C is a front elevational view of the actuator assembly ofFIG. 3A;

[0030]FIG. 3D is a side view of a torque transfer assembly of the twolevel actuator assembly of FIG. 3A that induces a lower horizontal shaftand an upper horizontal shaft of the two level actuator assembly torotate in a synchronous manner

[0031]FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of the travel trailer of FIG.1;

[0032]FIG. 4B is a front elevational view of the travel trailer of FIG.1;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0033] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts through out. In particular, FIG. 1 schematicallyillustrates a recreational fifth wheel travel trailer 30 comprised of amain housing 40 and a two level extendable housing 32, wherein theextendable housing 32 is shown extending from an opening 39 of the mainhousing 40 in a deployed configuration. As will be described in greaterdetail below, the two level extendable housing 32 can either be placedin the deployed configuration so as to effectively increase a livingspace 38 of the trailer 30 or be placed in a retracted configuration soas to provide that trailer 30 with a more suitable size and shape forbeing towed on a public road. Furthermore, although the preferredembodiment of FIG. 1 includes the extendable housing 32 that extendsfrom the left side of the trailer 30, it will be appreciated that theextendable housing 32 could be adapted to extend from the right side ofthe trailer 30 in another embodiment.

[0034] In this application, the adjectives “front”, “rear”, “left”,“right”, “inboard”, “outboard”, “longitudinal”, and “lateral” will befrequently used to indicate the spatial relationship between many of theelements of the trailer 30. In particular, the adjective front is usedto indicate that the corresponding element is positioned proximal to afront end of the trailer 30 and the adjective rear is used to indicatethat the corresponding element is positioned proximal to a rear end ofthe trailer 30, wherein the trailer 30 preferably travels on a road withthe front end leading and the rear end lagging. Furthermore, theadjectives left and right are defined with respect to an observer who islooking at the trailer 30 along a direction that extends from the rearend of the trailer 30 to the front end of the trailer and are used toindicate that the corresponding element is either positioned adjacent tothe left side of the trailer 30 or adjacent to the ride side of thetrailer 30. Moreover, the adjective inboard refers to an element beingpositioned proximal to a medial line that extends from the rear end ofthe trailer 30 to the front end of the trailer 30 and the adjectiveoutboard refers to an element being positioned distally from the medialline. Additionally, the adjectives longitudinal and lateral are used toindicate direction, wherein longitudinal refers to a horizontaldirection that extends between the rear and front ends of the trailer30, and wherein lateral refers to a horizontal direction that extendsbetween the left and right sides of the trailer 30.

[0035] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the trailer 30 further comprises aframe 34 that structurally supports the trailer 30. Essentially, theframe 34 forms a multilevel structure and is constructed fromconventional structural members in a manner known in the art so that theframe 34 structurally supports the main housing 40 of the trailer 30. Inthe preferred embodiment, the frame 34 is comprised of a rear horizontalplatform 58, a front horizontal platform 65, and a middle horizontalplatform 63 interposed therebetween. However, it will be appreciatedthat, in other embodiments, the frame 34 could be comprised of adifferent number of platforms. Furthermore, the frame 34 comprises arear vertical riser 59 that joins the rear horizontal platform 58 withthe middle horizontal platform 63 so that the platform 63 is elevatedabove the platform 58. Moreover, the frame 34 comprises a front verticalriser 61 that joins the middle horizontal platform 63 with the fronthorizontal platform 65 so that the platform 65 is elevated above theplatform 63.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment, the platforms 58, 63, and 65 of theframe 34 are formed from steel structural members. However, it will beappreciated that frame 34 could be constructed in alternative manner inother embodiments of the invention. For example, the rear platform, inan alternative embodiment, could be formed of steel members and extendedin length so as to join with a single steel riser that joins with thefront platform formed of steel. Furthermore, the middle platform, inthis alternative embodiment, could comprise a wooden structure thatmounts at the front of the rear platform.

[0037] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the main housing 40 is mountedabove the frame 34 and is essentially formed of a plurality of planerwalls that are joined together in a known manner and mounted to theframe 40 in a known manner so as to form the space 38 above a pluralityof floor levels. In particular, the main housing 40 includes a frontvertical wall 42, a rear vertical wall 44, a left side or drivers sidevertical wall 46, a right side or passenger side vertical wall 50, andan overhead vertical wall 52 that all join together in a mutuallyorthogonal manner to form a substantially rectangular shaped enclosurehaving the living space 38 formed therein. Furthermore, the main housing40 is further comprised of a rear lower horizontal wall 55, a middlelower horizontal wall 57, and an front lower horizontal wall 68 that aremounted directly above the rear platform 58, middle platform 63, andfront platform 65, respectively, of the frame 34.

[0038] Moreover, the upper surfaces of the rear, middle, and fronthorizontal walls 55, 57, and 68 respectively form a rear floor 56, amiddle floor 62, and a front floor 66. In particular, the middle floor62 is elevated above the rear floor 56 and separated from the rear floor56 by a rear step 53 that rises from the rear floor to the middle floor.Furthermore, the front floor 66 is elevated above the middle floor 62and separated from the middle floor 62 by a front step 69 that risesfrom the middle floor 62 to the front floor 66. Consequently, the livingspace 38 formed within the main housing 40 is segmented into a rearspace 54 that encompasses the rear floor 56, a middle space 60 thatencompasses the middle floor 62, and a front space 64 that encompassesthe front floor 66.

[0039] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the trailer 30 further comprises aknown wheel assembly 36 having a plurality of rotatable wheels thatattaches to the frame so as to enable the trailer 30 to be transportedon a road. Furthermore, the trailer 30 further comprises a known malehitch assembly 37 at the front of the trailer 30 that couples with aknown female hitch assembly of a towing vehicle so that the trailer 30can be towed by the towing vehicle.

[0040] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendable housing 32that is adapted to extend from the main housing 40 of the trailer 30 isformed of a plurality of walls that join together to form a supplementalliving space 35 therein. In particular, the housing 32 comprises anoutboard vertical wall 84, an overhead horizontal wall 86, a frontlateral vertical wall 88, a rear lateral vertical wall 90, a rear lowerhorizontal wall 92 having a lower floor 98 formed thereon, a front lowerhorizontal wall 94 having an upper floor 102 formed thereon, and amiddle lateral vertical wall 96 that collectively join together in asubstantially orthogonal manner. Specifically, the middle vertical wall96 vertically offsets the rear lower horizontal wall 92 from the frontlower horizontal wall 94 so that the upper floor 102 is elevated abovethe lower floor 98. Furthermore, the extendable housing 32 includes aninboard opening 85 that allows access to the supplemental living space35, wherein the opening 85 is positioned opposite of the outboardvertical wall 84. Moreover, the supplemental living space 35 comprises alower space 41 that encompasses the lower floor 98 and an upper space 43that encompasses the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32. Aswill be described in greater detail below, the lower space 41, in thepreferred embodiment, forms a part of a bathroom area 73 and the upperspace 43 forms a part of a sleeping area 77 of the trailer 30.

[0041] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the main housing 40 of the trailer30 includes the opening 39 that enables the two level extendable housing32 to extend from the main housing 40. In particular, the opening 39 isformed with a perimeter 45 having a shape that enables the two levelextendable housing 32 to extend from the opening 39 when the extendablehousing 32 is placed into the deployed configuration. Moreover, theopening 39 is formed with a shape that provides a substantially airtightseal when the extendable housing 32 is placed in the retractedconfiguration. Furthermore, the opening 39 is positioned adjacent to themiddle and front spaces 60 and 64 of the trailer 30 so as to allow theextendable housing to extend into and out of the middle and front spaces60 and 64 of the trailer 30.

[0042] As generally shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendable housing32, in the deployed configuration, extends through the opening 39 of themain housing 40 along a direction that is substantially perpendicular tothe left side vertical wall 46 so that the opening 85 of the extendablehousing 32 substantially aligns with the opening 39 of the main housing40 so as to provide the trailer 30 with an expanded interior middlespace 70 and an expanded interior front space 71. In particular, theextendable housing 32 is positioned so that the middle floor 62 of themain housing 40 extends into the lower floor 98 of the extendablehousing 32 so as to combine the middle space 60 of the main housing 40with the lower space 41 of the extendable housing 32 into the expandedmiddle space 70. Furthermore, the extendable housing 32 is positioned sothat the front floor 66 of the main housing 40 extends into the upperfloor 102 of the extendable housing 32 so as to combine the front space64 of the main housing 40 with the upper space 43 of the extendablehousing 32 into the expanded front space 71.

[0043] As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the two level extendablehousing 32 is coupled to an actuator assembly 33 that moves the twolevel housing 32 between the deployed configuration and the retractedconfiguration. In the preferred embodiment, the actuator assembly 33 iscomprised of a rear horizontal slidable rail 106 a having a rearupwardly extending vertical bracket 104 a at an outboard end of the rail106 a and a front slidable rail 106 b having a front upwardly extendingvertical bracket 104 b at an outboard end of the rail 106 b, wherein therear and front brackets 104 a and 104 b attach to the extendable housing32 so that movement of the rails 106 a and 106 b produce a correspondingmovement of the extendable housing 32 between the extended and retractedpositions.

[0044] As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the rails 106 a and 106 blaterally extend from the frame 40 along different horizontal planes. Inparticular, the rail 106 a extends from the middle platform 63 of theframe 34 and is positioned beneath the rear horizontal wall 92 of theextendable housing 32 so that the rear bracket 104 a can attach to theextendable housing 32 in a manner which will be described in greaterdetail below. Similarly, the rail 106 b extends from the front platform65 of the frame 34 and is positioned beneath the front horizontal wall94 of the extendable housing 32 so that the front bracket 104 b canattach to the extendable housing 32. As will be described in greaterdetail below in connection with FIGS. 3A-3B, the actuator assembly 33 isfurther comprised of a two level drive assembly 47 that moves thevertically offset rails 106 a and 106 b in a lateral manner so as tomove the extendable housing 32 between the deployed configuration andthe retracted configuration.

[0045] Reference will now be made to FIGS. 2A and 2B which provide adetailed plan view of the living space 38 within the trailer 30 ofFIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 2A illustrates the trailer 30 with theextendable housing 32 in the retracted configuration and FIG. 2Billustrates the trailer 30 with the extendable housing 32 in thedeployed configuration. Moreover, in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the front of thetrailer 30 is shown on the right hand side of the page and the rear ofthe trailer 30 is shown in the left hand side of the page.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2A, the extendable housing 32, in the retractedconfiguration, extends into the main housing 40 so that the extendablehousing 32 is substantially positioned within the middle and frontspaces 60 and 64 of the living space 38 of the trailer 30. Consequently,the outboard vertical wall 84 of the extendable housing 32 is alignedwith the opening 39 of the main housing 40 so as to form the trailer 30with a more aerodynamic shape and so as to reduce the effective width ofthe trailer 30 while the trailer is being towed.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2B, the extendable housing 32, in the deployedconfiguration, extends out of the opening 39 of the left vertical sidewall 46 of the main housing 40 so that the opening 85 of the extendablehousing 32 aligns with the opening 39 of the main housing 40. Thus, thelower and upper spaces 41 and 43 of the supplemental living space 35 ofthe extendable housing 32 combine with the middle and front spaces 60and 64 of the living space 38 of the housing 40 to form the expandedmiddle and front spaces 70 and 71 of the trailer 30.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the extendable housing 32 furthercomprises a lip 81 that outwardly extends from the inboard edges of thefront, overhead, and rear walls 88, 86, and 90 of the extendable housing32 in a substantially orthogonal manner. In particular, when theextendable housing 32 is placed in the deployed configuration of FIG.2B, the lip 81 flushly contacts an inner surface 83 of the main housing40 adjacent the opening 39 of the left side vertical wall 46 of the mainhousing 40 so as to partially support the extendable housing 32 in thedeployed configuration. As will be described below in connection to FIG.4B, the actuator assembly 33 provides additional support to theextendable housing 32 in the extended position.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the preferred embodiment of thetrailer 30 further comprises a conventional single level extendablehousing 121 having a deployed configuration and a storage configuration.In particular, the single level extendable housing 121, when in thedeployed configuration as shown in FIG. 1B, extends through the mainhousing 40 so as to increase the rear space of the trailer 30.Furthermore, the single level extendable housing 121, when in theretracted configuration as shown in FIG. 1A, is substantially positionedwithin the main housing 40 so as to provide the trailer 30 with a shapeand size that is more suitable for traveling.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the rear space 54 of the trailer 30includes a living room area 48 and a kitchen area 49. In particular, theliving room area 48 includes a plurality of recliner chairs 120, ahide-a-bed 122, a set of dining furniture 124, an entertainment center128 for storing a television, and an entry area 129 adjacent an entrydoor 126 which is positioned within the right side vertical wall 50 ofthe main housing 40. Moreover, the hide-a-bed 122 and the set of diningfurniture 124 are positioned within the single level extendable housing121 so that the hide-a-bed 122 and the set of dining furniture 124 aredisplaced away from the kitchen area 49 when the single level extendablehousing 121 is placed into the deployed configuration. Furthermore, thekitchen area 49 includes a cabinet assembly 130 that comprises a kitchencounter 131, a stove 132, a food pantry 134, a refrigerator 136, akitchen sink 135, and a step 140 that provides easy access to theelevated expanded middle space 70 of the trailer 30.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2B, the expanded middle space 70 comprises abathroom area 73 and a dressing room area 75. In particular, thebathroom area 73 includes a toilet closet 144, a shower 146, and abathroom sink 147. Furthermore, the dressing room area 75 includes amovable cabinet such as a foldable wardrobe assembly 151 having adeployed configuration and a retracted configuration that will bedescribed in greater detail below and a storage cabinet 154. Moreover,the foldable wardrobe assembly 151, the storage cabinet 154, and thebathroom sink 147 are attached to the two level extendable housing 32within the lower space 41 of the housing 32 so that the assembly 151,cabinet 154 and sink 147 are displaced away from the toilet closet 144and shower 146 when the housing 32 is placed into the deployedconfiguration (FIG. 2B). To accommodate movement of the sink 147 withrespect to the frame 34, the sink 147 includes a known flexible hoseassembly that communicates a faucet of the sink 147 with a fresh waterreservoir and communicates a drain of the sink 147 with a waste waterreservoir in a manner known in the art.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the foldable wardrobe assembly 151comprises a stationary cabinet 148 that is fixedly mounted to the twolevel extendable housing 32 within the lower space 41 of the housing 32,and a movable cabinet 150 which is pivotally mounted to the stationarycabinet by way of a hinge 149 so that the rotational axis of the hinge149 is aligned in a vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2B, thestationary cabinet 148 includes a front side 137 and an inboard side 138and the movable cabinet 150 includes a front side 139, an outboard side141, an inboard side 143, and a rear side 142, wherein the front andrear sides 139 and 142 are wider than the inboard and outboard sides 141and 143. Furthermore, the hinge 149 couples with the inboard side 138 ofthe stationary cabinet 148 and further couples with the movable cabinet150 along a corner 145 that connects the front side 139 with theoutboard side 141 of the movable cabinet 150.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2A, the foldable wardrobe assembly 151 is placedinto the retracted configuration by rotating the movable cabinet 150about the hinge 149 so that the wider front side 139 of the movablecabinet 150 is substantially aligned with the inboard side 138 of thestationary cabinet 148. As a result, the extendable housing 32 is ableto be placed in the retracted configuration so that the rear side 142 ofthe movable cabinet 150 is flushly positioned adjacent the toilet closet144.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 2B, when the extendable housing 32 is placed inthe deployed configuration, a space is created with enables the foldablewardrobe assembly 151 to be placed into the deployed configuration. Inparticular, the movable cabinet 150 is rotated about the hinge 149 sothat the outboard side 141 of the movable cabinet 150 substantiallyaligns with the inboard side 138 of the stationary cabinet 148. Thus thefoldable wardrobe assembly 151 forms an elongated shape which is similarto that of known wardrobes. Moreover, the fully deployed extendablehousing 32 provides sufficient room between the movable cabinet 150 andthe toilet closet 144 so that a person can walk therebetween and so thata person can access the toilet closet 144.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2B, the expanded front space 71 comprises asleeping area 77 and a study area 79. In particular, the sleeping area77 includes a queen sized bed 166 and an access space 165 adjacent thefront vertical wall 42 of the main housing 40 that enables individualsto access the bed 166 in a convenient manner. Furthermore, the studyarea 79 includes a linen closet 158, a table 163, a chair 162, and acorner cabinet 164.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bed 166 is fixedly attached tothe extendable housing 32 so that the bed 166 extends through theopening 39 of the main housing 40 when the extendable housing 32 isplaced in the deployed configuration. Furthermore, the inboard end ofthe bed 166 is positioned under the linen closet 158 and table 163 whenthe extendable housing 32 is placed in the retracted configuration.Moreover, the bed 166 extends away from the linen closet 158, the table163, and the corner cabinet 164 when the extendable housing 32 is placedin the deployed configuration so as to form a space therebetween thatallows individuals to access the sleeping area 77 and study area 79.

[0057] It will be appreciated that the two level extendable housing 32provides the trailer 30 with a more luxurious atmosphere. In particular,the expanded middle space 70 of the trailer 30 which results from theextendable housing 32 being placed in the deployed configurationprovides ample room for individuals to conveniently utilize the bathroomand dressing areas 73 and 75. In contrast, travel trailers known in theart, including those having known extendable housings, typicallycomprise relatively small bathroom and dressing areas.

[0058] It will also be appreciated that the enlarged middle space 70 ofthe trailer 30 combined with the retractable nature of the foldablewardrobe assembly 151 enables the assembly 151 to be positioned outsidefrom the sleeping area 77. Consequently, the sleeping area 77 is able toinclude the access space 165 so that individuals can conveniently accessthe bed 166. In contrast, travel trailers known in the art that utilizeextendable housings typically position a wardrobe adjacent a front wallof the trailer adjacent to a sleeping area so that the space within thesleeping area is substantially reduced.

[0059] Reference will now be made to FIG. 3A - FIG. 3D which providedetailed illustrations of the actuator assembly 33 used to move theextendable housing 32. In particular, FIG. 3A is an overhead plan viewof the actuator assembly 33, wherein the left side of FIG. 3Acorresponds to the rear end of the actuator assembly 33 and the rightside of FIG. 3A corresponds to the front end of the actuator assembly33. Furthermore, FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the actuatorassembly 33, wherein the left side of FIG. 3B corresponds to the rearend of the actuator assembly 33 and the right side of FIG. 3B definesthe front end of the actuator assembly 33. Moreover, FIG. 3C is a frontelevational view of the actuator assembly 33. Additionally, FIG. 3D is aside elevational view of a torque transfer assembly 172 of the actuatorassembly 33 from the perspective of an observer who is looking along theelongated axis of a rear horizontal shaft 176 a.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the actuator assembly 33 is comprised ofa rear rail assembly 170 a, a front rail assembly 170 b, and a driveassembly 171 interposed therebetween, wherein the front rail assembly170 b is elevated above the rear rail assembly 170 a. As best shown inFIGS. 3A and 3C, the rear rail assembly 170 is comprised of a rear fixedsupport guide 108 a and the rear horizontal slidable rail 106 a thatextends from the support guide 108 a in a telescoping manner.Specifically, the rail 106 a is adapted to slidably extend from anelongated channel formed within the support guide 108 a so that themotion of the rail 106 a is restricted to be along the elongated channelof the support guide 108 a. Furthermore, a substantial portion of theslidable rail 106 a will always remain within the support guide 108 a soas to enable the rail 106 a to function as a cantilever as will bedescribed in greater detail below.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 3A-3C, the front rail assembly 170 b issubstantially similar to the rear rail assembly 170 a and is positionedso as to be elevated above the rear rail assembly 170 a. As best shownin FIGS. 3A and 3C, the front rail assembly 170 b is comprised of afront fixed support guide 108 b and the front horizontal slidable rail106 b that extends from the support guide 108 b in a telescoping manner.Specifically, the rail 106 b is adapted to slidably extend from anelongated channel formed within the support guide 108 b so that themotion of the rail 106 b is restricted to be along the elongated channelof the support guide 108 b. Furthermore, a substantial portion of theslidable rail 106 b will always remain within the support guide 108 b soas to enable the rail 106 b to function as a cantilever as will bedescribed in greater detail below.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 3A and 3C, the front and rear rail assemblies170 a and 170 b are preferably positioned so that the support guides 108a and 108 b are aligned in a parallel manner and so that the outboardends of the support guides 108 a and 108 b are both positioned in acommon plane which is perpendicular to the elongated axis of both thesupport guides 108 a and 108 b. Furthermore, the rear slidable rail 106a is adapted with a plurality of uniformly spaced rack groves 173 aalong a lower surface of the rail 106 a that enable the slidable rail106 a to form a portion of a rear rack and pinion assembly 182 a.Similarly, the front slidable rail 106 b is adapted with a plurality ofuniformly spaced rack groves 173 b along a lower surface of the rail 106b that are substantially similar to the groves 173 a of the rear rail106 a that enable the slidable rail 106 b to form a portion of a frontrack and pinion assembly 182 b that is substantially similar to the rearrack and pinion assembly 182 a.

[0063] As schematically shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the drive assembly 171of the actuator assembly 33 is comprised of a rear pinion 175 a, a rearhorizontal shaft 176 a, the torque transfer assembly 172, a fronthorizontal shaft 176 b, a front pinion 175 b which is substantiallysimilar to the rear pinion 175 a, and an electric motor 183. Inparticular, the rear pinion 175 a is fixedly attached at a rear end ofthe rear horizontal shaft 176 a and the front pinion 175 b is fixedlyattached at a front end of the front horizontal shaft 176 b.Furthermore, the rear and front horizontal shafts 176 a and 176 b arerotatably mounted so that the rotational axes of the front and rearshaft 176 a are parallel to each other and both lie in a substantiallycommon vertical plane. Moreover, the rear horizontal shaft 176 a ispositioned so that the rear pinion 175 a engages with the plurality ofrack grooves 173 a of the rear slidable rail 106 a so as to form therear rack and pinion assembly 182 a. Additionally, the front horizontalshaft 176 b is positioned so that the front pinion 175 b engages withthe plurality of rack grooves 173 b of the front slidable rail 106 b soas to form the front rack and pinion assembly 182 b.

[0064] As schematically shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, torque transferassembly 172 couples the rear shaft 176 a with the front shaft 176 b sothat a torque applied by the rear shaft 176 a will be transferred to thefront shaft 176 b. In particular, the front end of the rear shaft 176 aattaches to a descending portion of the torque transfer assembly 172 anda rear end of the front shaft 176 b attaches to an ascending portion ofthe torque transfer assembly 172.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3D, the preferred embodiment of the torquetransfer assembly 172 comprises a lower gear 177 a, an upper gear 177 b,and a flexible chain 178 having a closed end. In particular, the frontend of the rear shaft 176 a is fixedly attached to the lower gear 177 ain a conventional manner and the rear end of the front shaft 176 b isfixedly attached to the upper gear 177 b in a conventional manner.Furthermore, the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b are aligned in acommon vertical plane and the appropriately sized chain 178 ispositioned to surround the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b so thatthe chain 178 engages with both the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177b. Consequently, when a torque is applied by the rear shaft 176 a ontothe lower gear 177 a, the tension of the chain 178 will increase in anasymmetrical manner so that a torque is transferred to the upper gear177 b and front shaft 176 b. Moreover, the diameters of the lower andupper gears 177 a and 177 b are substantially equal so that the rearshaft 176 a and the front shaft 176 b always have the same angularvelocity.

[0066] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the electric motor 183 of the driveassembly 171 of the actuator assembly 33 couples with the rear shaft 176a of the drive assembly 171 in a well known manner so as to enable theelectric motor 183 to activate the drive assembly 171. In particular,when electric current is passed through the electric motor 183, theelectric motor 183 generates a torque which causes the rear and frontshafts 176 a and 176 b to rotate at a substantially equal angularvelocity. Consequently, the rear and front rack and pinion assemblies182 a and 182 b will operate in a substantially identical manner so thatthe rear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will both travel withthe same linear velocity.

[0067] It will be appreciated that the actuator assembly 33 provides aneffective means for moving the extendable housing 32. In particular, theelectric motor 183 couples with the rear shaft 176 a, thereby providingthe rear shaft 176 a with a torque that induces the rear shaft 176 a andthe rear pinion 175 a into a state of rotation. Thus, since the rearpinion 175 a is positioned so as to engage the rack grooves 173 a of therear slidable rail 106 a, the rotating rear pinion 175 a will induce theslidable rail 106 a to move in a lateral manner.

[0068] Furthermore, the rear shaft 176 a will provide the torquetransfer assembly 172 with a torque so as to rotate the front shaft 176b. In particular, since the rear shaft 176 a is coupled with the lowergear 177 a of the torque transfer assembly 172, the rear shaft 176 aapplies a torque onto the lower gear 177 a, thereby causing the chain178 of the torque transfer assembly 172 to experience an asymmetricaltension. Thus, the chain 178 applies a torque onto the upper gear 177 bwhich transfers the torque to the front shaft 176 b, thereby inducingthe shaft 176 b and, consequently, the front pinion 175 b into a stateof rotation. Moreover, since the front and rear rack and pinionassemblies 182 a and 182 b are substantially identical to each other andsince the lower and upper gears 177 a and 177 b are substantiallyidentical to each other, the rotating front pinion 175 b will induce thefront slidable rail 106 b into a state of motion that is substantiallyidentical to the state of motion of the rear slidable rail 106 a.

[0069] Consequently, since the rear and front slidable rails 106 a and106 b are coupled with the extendable housing 32 in a manner that willbe described in greater detail below, the synchronous movement of therear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will move the extendablehousing 32 in an aligned manner. In particular, the synchronous movementof the rear and front slidable rails 106 a and 106 b will inducemovement of the extendable housing so that the outboard wall 54 of theextendable housing 32 will tend to align with a plane which is parallelto the plane of the left side wall 46 of the main housing 40. Therefore,it is unlikely that the extendable housing 32 will become immobilizedwith respect to the frame 34 of the trailer 30 due to improper alignmentbetween the extendable housing 32 and the main housing 40.

[0070] Reference will now be made to FIGS. 4A and 4B which illustratethe recreational travel trailer 30 in greater detail. In particular,FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of the trailer 30 of FIG. 1.Furthermore, FIG. 4B is a front elevational view of the trailer 30 ofFIG. 1, wherein the extendable housing 32 is illustrated in the deployedconfiguration.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4A, the actuator assembly 33 is mounted withinthe frame 34 of the trailer 30. In particular, the rear rail assembly170 a, the rear rack and pinion assembly 182 a, and the rear horizontalshaft 176 a of the actuator assembly 33 are positioned within the middleplatform 63 of the frame 34 so that the rear horizontal shaft 176 a ispositioned in a substantially longitudinal manner and so that the rearrail assembly 170 a is positioned in a lateral manner. Furthermore, thetorque transfer assembly 172 of the actuator assembly 33 is positionedwithin the front vertical riser 61 of the frame 34. Moreover, the fronthorizontal shaft 176 b, the front rack and pinion assembly 182 b, andthe front rail assembly 170 b of the actuator assembly 33 are positionedwithin the front platform 65 of the frame 34 so that the fronthorizontal shaft 176 b is positioned in a substantially longitudinalmanner and so that the front rail assembly 170 b is positioned in alateral manner.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 4A, the rear and front horizontal slidable rails106 a and 106 b of the actuator assembly 33, which are used to move theextendable housing 32 between the retracted and deployed configurations,are adapted to extend from the frame 34 of the trailer 30. Inparticular, the frame 34 includes a rear opening 107 a at an outboardedge of the middle platform 63 adjacent the rear end of the middleplatform 63 that enables the rear slidable rail 106 a of the rear railassembly 170 a to extend from the frame 34 in a lateral manner.Similarly, the frame 34 includes a front opening 107 b at an outboardedge of the front platform 65 adjacent the front end of the frontplatform 65 that enables the front slidable rail 106 b of the front railassembly 170 b to extend from the frame 34 in a lateral manner.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the actuator assembly 33 ispositioned underneath the extendable housing 32 and the middle and frontlower horizontal walls 57 and 68 of the trailer 30. In particular, therear rail assembly 170 a is positioned beneath the rear lower wall 92 ofthe extendable housing 32 and the front rail assembly 170 b ispositioned beneath the front lower wall 94 of the extendable housing 32.As will be described in greater detail below, the slidable rails 106 aand 106 b respectively couple with the rear lower wall 92 and the frontlower wall 94 so as to enable the actuator assembly 33 to move theextendable housing 32 between the retracted and deployed configurations.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 4B, the lower floor 98 of the extendable housing32 is vertically aligned with the middle floor 62 of the main housing 40in a substantial manner and is adapted to travel across the middle floor62 during movement of the extendable housing in a non-sliding manner. Inthe preferred embodiment, a known roller assembly 110 having a lowprofile is mounted to a lower surface 111 of the lower horizontal wall92 of the extendable housing 32 adjacent the inboard edge of the lowerhorizontal wall 92 so as to be interposed between the lower surface 111of the lower horizontal wall 92 and the middle floor 62 of the mainhousing 40 in a flush manner. Thus, when the extendable housing 32 ismoved in a lateral manner, the roller assembly 110 will roll across themiddle floor 62 so that the extendable housing 32 can be moved with arelatively small lateral force.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4B, the preferred embodiment of the trailer 30comprises the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32 that issubstantially elevated above the front floor 66 of the main housing 40.In particular, this enables the outboard end of the bed 166 to bepositioned directly on the upper floor 102 so that the inboard end ofthe bed 166 is sufficiently elevated above the front floor 66 of themain housing 40 so as to enable individuals to conveniently access thebed 166. However, it will be appreciated that, in another embodiment,the upper floor 102 of the extendable housing 32 could be adapted toalign with the upper floor 66 of the main housing 40.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4B, the inboard end of the bed 166 is supportedby an inboard bed support 112 having a known roller assembly 113. Inparticular, the inboard bed support 112 is positioned beneath theinboard end of the bed so as to support the bed 166 as well asindividuals who are sleeping on the bed 166. Furthermore, the rollerassembly 113 is attached to a lower surface of the inboard bed support112 so that the roller assembly 113 is flushly interposed between theinboard bed support 112 and the front floor 66 of the main housing 40.Thus, when the bed 166 is moved along with the extendable housing 32,the roller assembly 113 of the inboard bed support 112 will roll alongthe front floor 66 of the main housing 40 so as to reduce the lateralforce that is required to move the extendable housing 32.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 4B, the rear and front rail assemblies 170 a and170 b of the actuator assembly 33 are laterally mounted to the frame 34of the trailer 30. In particular, the rear support guide 108 a of therear rail assembly 170 a is laterally mounted within the middle platform63 so that the slidable rail 106 a can extend from the trailer 30 in alateral manner and be supported by the rear support guide 108 a.Furthermore, the front support guide 108 b of the front rail assembly170 b is laterally mounted within the front platform 65 so that theslidable rail 106 b can extend from the trailer 30 in a lateral mannerand be supported by the front support guide 108 b.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 4B, the slidable rails 106 a and 106 b engagewith the extendable housing 32 so that they can maneuver and support theextendable housing 32. In particular, the rear and front slidable rails106 a and 106 b laterally extends from the frame 34 of the trailer 30 sothat the outboard ends of the rails 106 a and 106 b are substantiallyadjacent the outboard vertical wall 84 of the extendable housing 32.Furthermore, the upwardly extending bracket 104 a connects the outboardend of the rear rail 106 a with the rear lower horizontal wall 92 of theextendable housing 32 so that the rear rail assembly 170 a can move theextending housing 32 and so that the rear slidable rail 106 a of therear rail assembly 170 a can cantilever the extendable housing 32 in thedeployed configuration. Moreover, the upwardly extending bracket 104 battaches the outboard end of the front rail 106 b with the front lowerhorizontal wall 94 of the extendable housing 32 so that the front railassembly 170 b can move the extending housing 32 and so that the frontslidable rail 106 b of the front rail assembly 170 b can cantilever theextendable housing 32 in the deployed configuration.

[0079] It will be appreciated that the two level extendable housing 32of the trailer 30 extends across two floor levels of the trailer 30.Thus, the supplemental living space 35 formed within the extendablehousing 32 is substantially greater than the supplemental living spaceof similarly positioned extendable housings of travel trailers known inthe art. Consequently, the extendable housing 32 is able to encompassthe bathroom area 73 as well as the sleeping area 77, so as to provideboth of these areas with greater space.

[0080] It will also be appreciated that the actuator assembly 33 enablesthe extendable housing 32 to be maneuvered between the deployed andretracted configurations in a desirable manner. In particular, thevertically offset slidable rails 106 a and 106 b are adapted torespectively move the rear and front ends of the extendable housing 32in a synchronous manner so as to maintain the extendable housing 32 inan aligned state with respect to the main housing 40.

[0081] It will also be appreciated that the actuator assembly can bemanufactured at a relatively low cost. In particular, the components ofthe actuator assembly 33 can be readily fabricated and installed withinthe frame 34 of the trailer 32 using relatively simple installationtechniques known in the art.

[0082] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention hasshown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of theinvention as applied to this embodiment, it will be understood thatvarious omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the detailof the device illustrated may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to theforegoing description, but should be defined by the appending claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; a set ofwheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement of the trailerover the ground; a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floordefines the inner living space of the trailer and wherein the floor hasa first vertical level positioned at a first height above the ground anda second vertical level positioned at a second height above the ground;a plurality of walls mounted on the floor so as to enclose the innerliving space of the trailer; and a pop-out assembly attached to a firstwall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, the pop out assemblyincluding a floor having a first and a second level and a plurality ofwalls mounted at the outer edges of the floor, wherein the first andsecond level of the floor of the pop-out are respectively positionedadjacent the first and second vertical levels of the floor of thetrailer attached to the frame wherein the pop-out assembly is movablebetween a first position such that an outer wall of the plurality ofwalls of the pop-out assembly is positioned adjacent the first wall anda second position wherein the pop-out assembly is extended outward fromthe first wall.
 2. The travel trailer of claim 1 , further comprising amovement mechanism coupled with the pop-out assembly so as to be able tomove the pop-out assembly between the first position and the secondposition.
 3. The travel trailer of claim 2 , wherein the movementmechanism is comprised of at least one lineal actuator attached to thepop out assembly that is movable between a retracted and an extendedposition.
 4. The travel trailer of claim 3 , wherein the movementmechanism further comprises a means for moveing the linear actuatorbetween the retracted and the extended position.
 5. The travel trailerof claim 4 , wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a first railattached to a first end of the pop-out assembly, wherein the first railis movable between a retracted and an extended position; a second railattached to a second end of the pop-out assembly, wherein the secondrail is movable between a retracted and an extended position; a motorwhich is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to move the firstrail between the retracted and extended position; and a linkage assemblythat links the first and second rail so as to ensure that the first andsecond rail move between the retracted and the extended positionsimultaneously at the same rate.
 6. The travel trailer of claim 5 ,wherein the linkage assembly comprises: a first shaft member mounted tothe trailer assembly so as to extend generally horizontally at a firstheight above the ground so as to be rotatable wherein the first shaftmember is attached to the first rail so that rotation of the first shaftmember results in corresponding movement of the first rail between theretracted and the extended position; a second shaft member mounted tothe trailer assembly so as to extend generally at a second height abovethe ground and so as to be rotatable wherein the second shaft member isattached to the second rail so that rotation of the second shaft memberresults in movement of the second rail between the retracted andextended position; a vertical linkage mechanism that is coupled to thefirst and second shaft members so that rotational movement of the firstshaft member results in corresponding rotational movement of the secondshaft member.
 7. The travel trailer of claim 6 , wherein the verticallinkage mechanism is comprised of a first sprocket attached to the firstshaft member and a second sprocket attached to the end of the secondshaft member and a continuous chain that is engaged with the first andsecond sprocket members so that rotation of the first sprocket memberresults in rotation of the second sprocket member.
 8. The travel trailerof claim 1 , wherein the travel trailer includes a main level, a firstelevated level corresponding to the first vertical level and a secondelevated level.
 9. The travel trailer of claim 8 , wherein the firstelevated level comprises a bathroom and the first floor of the pop-outassembly expands the floor area of the bathroom.
 10. The travel trailerof claim 9 , wherein the second elevated level comprises a bedroomhaving a bed positioned therein, wherein the bed is mounted so that aportion of the bed is positioned within the pop-out assembly so thatwhen the pop-out assembly is in the second position, a portion of thebed is positioned outside of the outer walls of the trailer.
 11. Thetravel trailer of claim 1 , further comprising a foldable wardrobeassembly that is positioned within the pop-out assembly so that thefoldable wardrobe assembly moves with the pop-out assembly, wherein thefoldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between a first orientation thatenables the pop-out assembly to be moved into the first position and asecond orientation that extends the width of the foldable wardrobe. 12.The travel trailer of claim 11 , wherein the foldable wardrobecomprises: a fixed cabinet attached to the pop-out assembly; a hingeattached to a first cabinet adjacent a first surface of the firstcabinet; a pivoting cabinet attached to the hinge at a first surface ofthe second cabinet so that the second cabinet can be pivoted about thehinge.
 13. The travel trailer of claim 10 , wherein the first surface ofthe pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially perpendicularto the first surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe isplaced into the first orientation, and wherein the first surface of thepivoting cabinet is oriented so as to be substantially parallel with thefirst surface of the fixed cabinet when the foldable wardrobe is placedinto the second orientation.
 14. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; aplurality of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement ofthe trailer over the ground; a multilevel floor attached to the frame,wherein the multilevel floor defines the inner living space of thetrailer and wherein the multilevel floor includes a first levelpositioned at a first height above the plurality of wheels and a secondlevel positioned at a second height above the plurality of wheels; amain housing comprised of a plurality of walls mounted above the framethat enclose the inner living space of the trailer; and an extendablehousing attached to a first wall of the plurality of walls of thetrailer, the extendable housing including a multilevel floor having afirst and a second level and a plurality of walls mounted at the outeredges of the floor, wherein the first and second level of the multilevelfloor of the extendable housing are respectively positioned adjacent thefirst and second levels of the multilevel floor of the trailer attachedto the frame, wherein the extendable housing is movable between aretracted configuration such that an outer wall of the plurality ofwalls of the extendable housing is positioned adjacent the first walland a deployed configuration wherein the extendable housing is extendedoutward from the first wall.
 15. The travel trailer of claim 14 ,further comprising an actuator assembly coupled with the extendablehousing so as to be able to move the extendable housing between thefirst position and the second position.
 16. The travel trailer of claim15 , wherein the actuator assembly comprises: a first rail attached to afirst end of the extendable housing, wherein the first rail is movablebetween a retracted and an extended position; a second rail attached toa second end of the extendable housing, wherein the second rail ismovable between a retracted and an extended position; a drive assemblythat links the first rail with the second rail so as to ensure that thefirst rail and the second rail move between the retracted and theextended position simultaneously at the same rate; and a motor which iscoupled with the drive assembly so as to be able to move the first railand the second rail between the retracted and extended position;
 17. Thetravel trailer of claim 16 , wherein the drive assembly comprises: afirst shaft member mounted to the travel trailer so as to extendgenerally horizontally at a first height above the ground so as to berotatable, wherein the first shaft member is coupled to the first railso that rotation of the first shaft member results in correspondingmovement of the first rail between the retracted and the extendedposition; a second shaft member mounted to the travel trailer so as toextend generally at a second height above the ground and so as to berotatable wherein the second shaft member is attached to the second railso that rotation of the second shaft member results in movement of thesecond rail between the retracted and extended position; a torquetransfer assembly that is coupled to the first and second shaft membersso that rotational movement of the first shaft member results incorresponding rotational movement of the second shaft member.
 18. Thetravel trailer of claim 17 , wherein the torque transfer assembly iscomprised of a first gear attached to the first shaft member and asecond gear attached to the end of the second shaft member and acontinuous chain that is engaged with the first and second gear so thatrotation of the first gear results in rotation of the second gear. 19.The travel trailer of claim 14 , wherein the multilevel floor includes amain level, wherein the first level and the second level are elevatedabove the main level.
 20. The travel trailer of claim 19 , wherein thefirst level comprises a bathroom and the first floor of the extendablehousing expands the floor area of the bathroom.
 21. The travel trailerof claim 20 , wherein the second level comprises a bedroom having a bedpositioned therein, wherein the bed is mounted so that a portion of thebed is positioned within the extendable housing so that when theextendable housing is in the second position, a portion of the bed ispositioned outside of the first wall of the plurality of walls of thetrailer.
 22. The travel trailer of claim 14 , further comprising afoldable wardrobe assembly that is positioned within the extendablehousing so that the foldable wardrobe assembly moves with the extendablehousing, wherein the foldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between afirst orientation that reduces the width of the foldable wardrobeassembly so as to enable the extendable housing to be moved into theretracted configuration and a second orientation that extends the widthof the foldable wardrobe.
 23. The travel trailer of claim 22 , whereinthe foldable wardrobe comprises: a fixed cabinet attached to theextendable housing; a hinge attached to a fixed cabinet adjacent a firstsurface of the first cabinet; and a pivoting cabinet attached to thehinge at a first surface of the second cabinet so that the secondcabinet can be pivoted about the hinge.
 24. The travel trailer of claim23 , wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so asto be substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the fixedcabinet when the foldable wardrobe is placed into the first orientation,and wherein the first surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so asto be substantially parallel with the first surface of the fixed cabinetwhen the foldable wardrobe is placed into the second orientation. 25.The travel trailer of claim 24 , wherein the fixed cabinet of thefoldable wardrobe is positioned on the first level of the multilevelfloor of the extendable housing.
 26. A recreational travel trailer thatcan be towed on a road by a passenger vehicle, the recreational traveltrailer comprising: a frame; a plurality of wheels that attach to theframe so as to support the travel trailer in a state of rest and so asto support the travel trailer in a state of relative motion with respectto the road; a main housing having a plurality of walls that form aninterior living space, wherein the main housing is coupled with theframe so as to support the main housing, wherein the main housingincludes a first floor and a second floor that are vertically offsetfrom each other, wherein the plurality of walls of the main housingfurther includes a first wall having a first opening; and an extendablehousing having a storage configuration and a deployed configuration,wherein the extendable housing is comprised of a plurality of walls thatform a supplemental living space therein, wherein the plurality of wallsof the extendable housing form a first floor and a second floor, whereinthe first floor and the second floor of the extendable housing arevertically offset from each other, wherein the extendable housing ispositioned within the first opening of the first wall of the mainhousing so that the first floor of the extendable housing is positionedproximate the first floor of the main housing and so that the secondfloor of the extendable member is positioned proximate the second floorof the main housing, wherein the extendable housing, in the storageconfiguration, is positioned substantially inside the housing so as toprovide the travel trailer with a shape that is suitable for being towedon a public road, and wherein the extendable housing, in the deployedconfiguration, is positioned substantially outside the housing so as toincrease the interior living space of the travel trailer.
 27. Thetrailer of claim 26 , further comprising a movement mechanism coupledwith the pop out assembly so that the pop out assembly is movablebetween the extended and the retracted position.
 28. The travel trailerof claim 27 wherein the movement mechanism is comprised of at least onelineal actuator attached to the pop out assembly that is movable betweena retracted and an extended position.
 29. The travel trailer of claim 28wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a means for moving thelinear actuator between the retracted and the extended position.
 30. Thetravel trailer of claim 29 , wherein the movement mechanism comprises: afirst rail attached to the first end of the pop out assembly, whereinthe first rail is movable between a retraced and an extended position; asecond rail attached to a second end of the pop out assembly, whereinthe second rail is movable between a retracted and an extended position;a motor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to movethe first rail between the retracted and the extended position; alinkage assembly that links the first and the second rail so as toensure that the fist and second rails move between the retraced and theextended position simultaneously at the same rate.
 31. The traveltrailer of claim 30 , wherein the linkage assembly comprises; a firstshaft member mounted to the trailer assembly so as to extend generallyhorizontally at a first height above the ground so as to be rotatablewherein the first shaft member is attached to the first rail so thatmovement of the first rail between the retraced and the extendedposition results in corresponding rotation of the first shaft member; asecond shaft member mounted to the trailer assembly so as to extendgenerally at a second height above the ground and so as to be rotatablewherein the second shaft member is attached to the second rail so thatrotation of the second shaft member results in movement of the secondrail between the retracted and the extended position; a vertical linkagemechanism that is coupled to the first and second shaft members so thatrotational movement of the first shaft member results in correspondingrotational movement of the second shaft member.
 32. The travel trailerof claim 31 , wherein the vertical linkage mechanism is comprised of afirst sprocket attached to the first shaft member and a second sprocketattached to the end of the second shaft member and a continuous chainthat is engaged with the first and second sprocket members so thatrotation of the first sprocket member results in rotation of the secondsprocket member.
 33. A travel trailer comprising: a frame; a set ofwheels attached to the frame to permit rolling movement of the trailerover the ground; a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floordefines the inner living space of the trailer and wherein the floor hasa first vertical level positioned at a first height above the ground anda second vertical level positioned at a second height above the groundgreater than the first level wherein the first vertical level definesthe bathroom of the trailer and the second vertical level defines thebedroom of the trailer; a plurality of walls mounted on the floor so asto enclose the inner living space of the trailer; and a pop out assemblyattached to the first wall of the plurality of walls of the trailer, thepop out assembly including a floor having a first and a second level anda plurality of walls mounted at the outer edges of the floor, whereinthe pop out assembly is movable between a first positioned such that theouter wall of the pop out assembly is positioned adjacent eh outer wallof the first wall and a second position wherein the pop out assembly isextended outward from the first wall and wherein the pop out assembly isattached to the first wall so that the first level of the pop outassembly increases the floor area of the bathroom of the trailer andwherein the second level of the pop out assembly increases the floorarea of the bedroom of the trailer when the pop out assembly is in theextended position.
 34. The trailer of claim 33 , further comprising amovement mechanism coupled with the pop out assembly so that the pop outassembly is movable between the extended and the retracted position. 35.The travel trailer of claim 34 , wherein the movement mechanism iscomprised of at least one lineal actuator attached to the pop outassembly that is movable between a retracted and an extended position.36. The travel trailer of claim 35 , wherein the movement mechanismfurther comprises a means for moving the linear actuator between theretracted and the extended position.
 37. The travel trailer of claim 36, further comprising a mechanism for ensuring that a first end and asecond end of the pop out assembly move between the retracted and theextended state at substantially the same rate.
 38. The travel trailer ofclaim 37 , wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a first railattached to the first end of the pop out assembly, wherein the firstrail is movable between a retraced and an extended position; a secondrail attached to a second end of the pop out assembly, wherein thesecond rail is movable between a retracted and an extended position; amotor which is coupled with the first rail so as to be able to move thefirst rail between the retracted and the extended position; a linkageassembly that links the first and the second rail so as to ensure thatthe fist and second rails move between the retraced and the extendedposition simultaneously at the same rate.
 39. The travel trailer ofclaim 33 , further comprising a movable cabinet assembly that ispositioned within the pop out assembly that is movable between a storageconfiguration and a deployed configuration.
 40. The travel trailer ofclaim 39 , wherein the movable cabinet is comprised of a foldablewardrobe assembly that is positioned within the pop out assembly so thatthe foldable wardrobe assembly moves with the pop out assembly, whereinthe foldable wardrobe assembly is foldable between a first orientationthat reduces the width of the foldable wardrobe assembly so as to enablethe pop out assembly to be moved into the retracted configuration and asecond orientation that extends the width of the foldable wardrobe. 41.The travel trailer of claim 40 , wherein the foldable wardrobecomprises: a fixed cabinet attached to the pop out assembly; a hingeattached to the fixed cabinet adjacent a first surface of the fixedcabinet; and a pivoting cabinet attached to the hinge at a first surfaceof the second cabinet so that the second cabinet can be pivoted aboutthe hinge.
 42. The travel trailer of claim 41 , wherein the firstsurface of the pivoting cabinet is orientated so as to be substantiallyperpendicular to the first surface of the fixed cabinet when thefoldable wardrobe is placed into the first orientation, and wherein thefirst surface of the pivoting cabinet is oriented so as to besubstantially parallel with the first surface of the fixed cabinet whenthe foldable wardrobe is placed into the second orientation.